About Us
Otter Bookbinding was established in 1993 by Marysa de Veer, and is based in Surrey, UK, near Woking. The Bindery is committed to keeping the tradition of craft bookbinding alive while also taking advantage of modern approaches to design, layout and print.
The majority of our business comes from repeat customers and word of mouth - a testament to the quality of our work and the high priority that we put into meeting customer needs. The bindery has featured in local press and BBC Southern Counties radio as well as Tatler magazine and the BBC. Our clients include book dealers, students, private collectors, Lambeth Palace, The Royal Star and Garter Home, the former Chief Executive of the Bank of Abu Dhabi, Loseley House, Metropolitan Police, literary agents, the University of London, as well as other Universities up and down the country.
About Marysa
Marysa trained at Guildford College under the tutelage of Maureen Duke and John Mitchell. Her time at college included a spell at Windsor Castle Bindery where she re-bound a bible for the Queen Mother's vicar, was invited to a Sunday Matins service and was fortunate to be introduced to the entire Royal Family who happened to be in attendance that day! She was on hand during the great fire of 1992 where she formed part of the human chain that evacuated books from the Royal Library!
More recently Marysa has concentrated on the day to day running of the Otter Bindery where she takes a hands on approach, bringing her flair for design and enthusiasm for her craft to her clients' projects.
Marysa de Veer is a member of The Society of Bookbinders and Designer Bookbinders. In 2003 the Society of Bookbinders awarded her a highly commended certificate in Restoration. The restored book was exhibited in the National Library of Wales - click here to view details.
In 2003, Marysa gained a diploma in Chemistry for conservators from Hammersmith College.
She specialises in the restoration of antiquarian books and has restored and/or conserved a number of early bindings for various institutions including Lambeth Palace Library and The Royal Star and Garter Home, Richmond. She has extensive experience in repairing all manner of antiquarian books and has over the years repaired many Family Bibles, early cloth bindings, Victorian atlases and photo-albums.
In 2007 she won second prize for restoration in the Society of Bookbinders Competition. See here for more information.
In November 2008 Marysa's binding of Daphne du Maurier's 'Don't Look Now and Other Stories' was "highly commended" in the Designer Bookbinders competition. You can see more pictures of this book here.
Marysa teaches at the bindery and has been a visiting teacher to Godalming College arts department as well as Brooklands college art dept where she taught the module entitled 'Business for Artists'. 30 eight year olds made a book in a day with Marysa at Monument High School in Woking for School Book Week. If you are interested in learning bookbinding, or would like a bookbinder to teach children or adults at an institution, please click here.
In 2009 and 2010, Marysa attended monthly masterclasses at Atelier d'Arts Appliqués du Vesinet with Sün Evrard.
The July 2009 issue of Crafts Beautiful Magazine published an article on bookbinding which featured Marysa. You can see it here
The Bindery features in a series of House Gift on ITV4 in October 2010.
Karen Wright, our bookbinding manager has over 10 years experience working with Otter Bookbinding, and is a wonderful asset with her good humour and calm manner even when there are 100 books to do within a day, it is Karen who says 'we like a challenge!'
Joanne, our graphic designer has just re-worked our logo and corporate image to great effect, Steve is our gold finisher and tradtional bookbinder extraordinaire and Ann-Marie is the expert in all matters to do with conservation of paper.
We are often asked why Otter? The bindery started life in the village of Ottershaw, where most business are Otter something, ie Otter Spicy Cottage, Otter Nurseries etc. So began the life of Otter Bindery, now Otter Bookbinding. The name was cemented in 2002 when a kind bookseller donated his stuffed otter that he had had for 40 years to the bindery. The otter had been found as a road victim near the river Vere and the bookseller, Mr Maggs decided to have him stuffed. His wife had wanted to find a new home for many years for the otter and her wish was fulfilled when Mr Maggs kindly donated to us. It now has pride of place on a shelf in the bindery!